The association between abuse and the perpetration of subtle sexual coercion: The role of approach and avoidance motivations

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 1509-1526
Author(s):  
Ellie R. Mullins ◽  
Gery C. Karantzas
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Psychological Abuse ◽  
Romantic Partner ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Potential Mechanism ◽  
Approach And Avoidance ◽  
Men And Women

Little research has investigated the associations between abuse and subtle sexual coercion within romantic relationships and the mechanisms that may underpin this association. Specifically, no previous research has investigated whether approach and avoidance motivations for engaging in sexual coercion explain this association. The aim of this research was to investigate whether approach and avoidance motivations pertaining to the perpetration of subtle sexual coercion may mediate the perpetration of psychological and physical abuse and the perpetration of sexual coercion. A total of 117 heterosexual couples (mean age = 30.42 years) completed measures assessing their approach and avoidance motivations for sexual coercion, as well as reports of abuse perpetration (physical and psychological) and sexual coercion against their romantic partner. Findings revealed that men and women’s perpetration of psychological abuse (but not physical abuse) was positively associated with their own avoidance motivations for sexual coercion perpetration and that women’s perpetration of psychological abuse was positively associated with their partner’s approach and avoidance motivations for sexual coercion perpetration. Avoidance motives were also found to mediate the association between psychological abuse and sexual coercion perpetration for both men and women. The results of this study highlight the importance of exploring motives as a potential mechanism to help explain the associations between abuse and sexual coercion within romantic relationships.

Intimacy Through Casual Sex: Relational Context of Sexual Activity and Affectionate Behaviours

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin R. Garcia ◽  
Amanda N. Gesselman ◽  
Sean G. Massey ◽  
Susan M. Seibold-Simpson ◽  
Ann M. Merriwether
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Sexual Activity ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Casual Sex ◽  
Sexual Relationship ◽  
Relational Context ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Relationship Context ◽  
Sexual Encounters

AbstractLittle is known about the role of affectionate behaviours — factors traditionally understood within the context of romantic relationships — in uncommitted ‘casual sex’ encounters. In a sample of U.S. undergraduate emerging adults aged 18–25 years (N= 639) we conducted a preliminary internet-based questionnaire investigation into the role of affectionate behaviours — operationalised here as cuddling, spending the night and cuddling, foreplay, and eye gazing — across two sexual relationship contexts: (committed) traditional romantic relationships and (uncommitted) casual sex encounters. While affectionate behaviours were desired more often in romantic relationships than in casual sexual encounters, many respondents (both men and women) engaged in these affectionate behaviours during casual sexual encounters as well. This was especially pronounced in those who expressed a preference for casual sex encounters over romantic relationships: in a casual sex context these participants were about 1.5 times as likely to cuddle, 1.5 times as likely to spend the night and cuddle, and nearly 5 times as likely to engage in foreplay with a partner. The current study emphasises the importance of considering relationship context in sexuality and relationship research, and the need for further theoretical and empirical research on dimensions of intimacy, including affection, in people's diverse romantic and sexual lives.

Gender Differences in the Motivations for the Use of Sanctions in Conflicts Within Muslim and Jewish Couples

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052093549
Author(s):  
Wafaa Sowan-Basheer ◽  
Zeev Winstok
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Orthodox Jewish ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Preliminary Estimate ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
First Time ◽  
Empirical Implications

This study aimed to examine differences between men and women and between Muslims, secular Jews, and religious Jews in their motivations for using sanctions within their intimate relationships. This work involved heterosexual couples from the general population. The sample included 95 Muslim, 68 secular Jewish, and 70 ultra-orthodox Jewish couples (466 participants). The findings of the study show that sanction use during times of conflict is prevalent among the vast majority of couples. Motivations for the use of sanctions are stronger among women than men. In addition, the strongest motivation expressed by both genders was a motivation for conflict resolution. This is the first time that sanctions, as a tactic to cope with conflict, have been addressed in a scholarly manner. This study provides a preliminary estimate of how commonly these types of behaviors are used in intimate relationships. Theoretical and empirical implications of the theoretical framework and the findings are discussed, including the role of the use of sanction in the escalation of intimate partner conflicts.

A Test of Explanations for the Effect of Harsh Parenting on the Perpetration of Dating Violence and Sexual Coercion Among College Males

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Gordon Simons ◽  
Callie Harbin Burt ◽  
Ronald L. Simons
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Corporal Punishment ◽  
Dating Violence ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Family Of Origin ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Romantic Partner ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
College Males ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives

This study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) with a sample of 760 college males to test various hypotheses regarding the avenues whereby harsh corporal punishment and a troubled relationship with parents increase the risk that a boy will grow up to engage in sexual coercion and dating violence. We found that three variables—a general antisocial orientation, sexually permissive attitudes, and believing that violence is a legitimate component of romantic relationships—mediated most of the association between negative parenting and our two outcomes. In addition to this indirect influence, we found that harsh corporal punishment had a direct effect upon dating violence. The findings are discussed with regard to various theoretical perspectives regarding the manner in which family of origin experiences increase the chances that a young man will direct violence toward a romantic partner.

Romantic relationships in intra-ethnic and inter-ethnic adolescent couples in Germany: The role of attachment to parents, self-esteem, and conflict resolution skills

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freek Bucx ◽  
Inge Seiffge-Krenke
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Factor Analyses ◽  
Passionate Love

We investigated romantic relationships in a sample of 380 adolescents who formed 190 heterosexual couples (mean age: females 17 years; males 18 years): 173 intra-ethnic (German) couples and 17 inter-ethnic couples. Factor analyses revealed two types of love experiences: (a) experiences of attraction and a passionate focus on the partner (passionate love) and (b) experiences of affiliation (companionate love). No differences were found between intra-ethnic and inter-ethnic couples in romantic experiences, self-esteem, and conflict resolution skills. Adolescents in intra-ethnic couples had more close relations with parents than adolescents in inter-ethnic couples. Actor—Partner Interdependence Models (APIMs) showed that companionate love was indirectly predicted by the quality of attachment towards parents; this relationship was mediated by self-esteem and conflict resolution skills. Whereas the quality of girlfriends’ attachment to the father (not to the mother) predicted conflict resolution skills in romantic relationships, boyfriends’ conflict resolution skills were predicted by the quality of attachment to the mother (not to the father). Furthermore, cross-partner effects were observed: girlfriends’ experiences of companionate love were not only predicted by attachment to their own mother, but also by the relation between their boyfriend and his mother.

scholarly journals Playing Hard–To–Get: Manipulating One'S Perceived Availability as A Mate

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 458-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter K. Jonason ◽  
Norman P. Li
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Casual Sex ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
American Universities ◽  
Perceived Availability ◽  
Sexual Economics ◽  
Economics Model

‘Playing hard–to–get’ is a mating tactic in which people give the impression that they are ostensibly uninterested to get others to desire them more. This topic has received little attention because of theoretical and methodological limitations of prior work. We present four studies drawn from four different American universities that examined playing hard–to–get as part of a supply–side economics model of dating. In Studies 1a (N = 100) and 1b (N = 491), we identified the tactics that characterize playing hard–to–get and how often men and women enact them. In Study 2 (N = 290), we assessed reasons why men and women play hard–to–get along with the personality traits associated with these reasons. In Studies 3 (N = 270) and 4 (N = 425), we manipulated the rate per week prospective mates went out with people they had just met and assessed participants’ willingness to engage in casual sex and serious romantic relationships with prospective mates (Study 3) and the money and time they were willing to invest in prospective mates (Study 4). We frame our results using a sexual economics model to understand the role of perceived availability in mating dynamics. Copyright © 2012 European Association of Personality Psychology

scholarly journals Longitudinal Associations Between Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Romantic Relationships in Late Adolescence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniek H. J. Joosten ◽  
Stefanie A. Nelemans ◽  
Wim Meeus ◽  
Susan Branje
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Late Adolescence ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Longitudinal Associations ◽  
Romantic Relationship Quality ◽  
Over Time

AbstractWhile youth with higher levels of depressive symptoms appear to have lower quality romantic relationships, little is known about longitudinal associations for both men and women. Therefore, this study used longitudinal dyadic design to examine both concurrent and longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and positive as well as negative aspects of romantic relationship quality across two waves one- or two-years apart. The sample consisted of 149 Dutch stable heterosexual couples (149 females and 142 males participated at T1) in a stable romantic relationship in late adolescence with a mean age of 20.43 years old at the first wave. Actor-Partner Interdependence models were used to examine potential bidirectional associations over time between depressive symptoms and romantic relationship quality, above and beyond potential concurrent associations and stability of the constructs over time, from the perspective of both romantic partners. Results consistently indicated that men and women who reported higher levels of depressive symptoms perceived less positive aspects (intimacy and support) and more negative aspects (conflict) in their romantic relationship over time. In addition, unexpectedly, when men and women perceived more positive relationship aspects, their partners reported higher levels of depressive symptoms over time. These findings stress that depressive symptoms can interfere with the formation of high-quality romantic relationships.

Negative Interpersonal Interactions and Dating Abuse Perpetration: The Mediating Role of Dispositional Forgivingness

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (15) ◽  
pp. 2311-2334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel C. Garthe ◽  
Brandon J. Griffin ◽  
Everett L. Worthington ◽  
Elizabeth A. Goncy ◽  
Terri N. Sullivan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Romantic Partner ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Interpersonal Interactions ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Dating Abuse ◽  
Negative Interactions

Theory and research suggest that an individual’s negative interactions with his or her parents or romantic partner are associated with the perpetration of dating abuse. Research is beginning to explore the role of forgivingness within abusive romantic relationships, and these preliminary findings suggest that dispositional forgivingness might mediate the relations between negative interpersonal interactions and dating abuse. The current study assessed negative interactions with one’s parents and one’s romantic partner, the frequency of dating abuse perpetration, and dispositional forgivingness of others and oneself among a sample of emerging adults in college ( n = 421). Dispositional forgivingness of others was negatively associated with the perpetration of emotional/verbal dating abuse and threatening behaviors, and it mediated relations between negative interpersonal interactions and dating abuse perpetration. Our findings suggest that the tendency to forgive others may explain why some individuals who experience negative interpersonal interactions with parents or romantic partners do not escalate to perpetration of abuse within their romantic relationships. Implications for future research and application are discussed.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Sexual Coercion Perpetration: Investigating the Role of Alcohol-use and Cognitive Risk Factors

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110063
Author(s):  
Véronique Bonneville ◽  
Dominique Trottier
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Prediction Model ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Cognitive Variables ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Sexual Intent

Studies have shown that alcohol is involved in 50 to 75% of all sexual coercion situations. Significant associations have been established between alcohol-use and sexual coercion perpetration and cognitive factors have been proposed to play an important role in this association. However, the current knowledge on the relationship between alcohol-use, cognitive factors, and sexual coercion perpetration is mostly based on male samples. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to investigate gender differences associated with the role of alcohol-use and cognitive factors in sexual coercion perpetration. To do so, 742 participants (562 women, 180 men) completed an online questionnaire assessing (1) alcohol-use, (2) perpetration of sexual coercion, and (3) cognitions related to sexuality or alcohol (misperception of sexual intent, alcohol-related expectancies, alcohol-related rape myth acceptance [RMA]). Results revealed that (1) for both men and women, alcohol-use as well as cognitive variables allowed to discriminate perpetrators from non-perpetrators, (2) perpetrators, whether male or female, did not differ significantly on any of the risk factors, except for alcohol-related RMA, (3) a prediction model that considered cognitive variables, as well as alcohol-use significantly contributed to the explanation of both male and female sexual coercion, and (4) the prediction model explained three times the amount of variance in sexual coercion perpetrated by men compared to women. On the one hand, these results highlight similarities in risk factors towards sexual coercion perpetration for both men and women. Perpetrators, regardless of their gender, seem to exhibit similar alcohol-use, alcohol-related expectancies, and tendencies to misinterpret sexual intent, making these risk factors potential prevention and intervention targets for both genders. On the other hand, these results emphasize the need to break away from male-based sexual coercion explanatory models and consider other variables towards a better understanding of female sexual coercion perpetration.

Associations of Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance With Male- and Female-Perpetrated Sexual Coercion in Romantic Relationships

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1176-1192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Barbaro ◽  
Andrew M. Holub ◽  
Todd K. Shackelford
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Romantic Attachment ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Romantic Partner ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Ongoing Relationship ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

Few studies have investigated the associations between romantic attachment dimensions and sexual coercion perpetration. The present study aimed to address methodological limitations in previous studies, and to more accurately identify the associations between romantic attachment and sexual coercion perpetration in romantic relationships. Data from 284 individuals (56% men) were secured via an online self-report survey. Participants completed assessments of romantic attachment to their current romantic partner, and reported the frequency with which they perpetrated 34 acts of sexual coercion against their romantic partner. Attachment anxiety was a positive predictor of sexual coercion perpetration for men and women. Additionally, for men only, the association between attachment anxiety and sexual coercion perpetration was stronger for individuals with greater attachment avoidance. The results of the study present a clearer picture of the associations between attachment and sexual coercion, and accord with modern theoretical perspectives positing that romantic attachment regulates reactions to acute and ongoing relationship threats.

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